Putting EDTA in your battery to make it last longer

From: SMTP%"lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu" 22-MAR-1995 13:31:19.04
To: MEL1523
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Subj: EDTA

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Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 14:32:44 +0000
To: MEL1523@ACS.TAMU.EDU
From: lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu (Jim Lawrence)
Subject: EDTA

>Date: Mon, 23 Jan 95 13:38:16
>From:
>Subject: EDTA
>To: mx%"lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu"
>Cc:
>X-POP3-Server: bchm1.aclcb.purdue.edu IUPOP3 V1.8-1/UCX
>X-POP3-ID: 1995-01-23.13:52:59.3517
>
>From: MX%"tcora@pica.army.mil" 17-MAY-1994 10:54:41.11
>To: MX%"lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu"
>CC:
>Subj: Re: Die Hard bike batteries - opinions?
>
>>> I've had one in my K100 since, oh, 1988 or 89 (I forget). It started to
>>> fade last year, so I EDTA'd it and it's good as ever.
>>
>>Tom,
>>You put EDTA in your battery? How did you hear about this and how much do
>>you add? What is the exact recipe for doing this. I am a biochemist and
>>EDTA is used for chelating positively charged ions out of a solution. I
>>suppose that this stops sulfonation in a battery? I'd love to know more
>>about this procedure
>
>Here's the articles which inspired my actions - note that I didn't really
>measure it very carefully...
>
>From: dab@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (The Nashville Flash)
>Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
>Subject: Prolong the Life of a Lead-Acid Battery
>Summary: Better Living Through Chemistry
>Keywords: cheapskate
>Date: 19 May 92 14:10:45 GMT
>Organization: Vanderbilt University School of Engineering, Nashville, TN,
>USA
>
>From an article that has appeared twice now in the Vintage BMW Bulletin...
>
>You can prolong the life of batteries by an additive that prevents
>sulfation. Supposed to be particularly good for batteries subjected to
>infrequent use, short trips, or inefficient charging system. Once-only
>treatment lasts for the life of the rejuvenated battery.
>
>Obtain some EDTA (tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate or simply
>tetrasodium EDTA) from a chemical or lab supply place. This is a chelating
>agent and (I THINK) used on folks that are going to get an MRI scan. Four
>(4) grams are divided into approximately equal portions and added to all the
>cells of a motorcycle battery. Four grams are added to each cell in an
>automotive battery. Agitate battery frequently for a few days (normal use
>will do). Finally, give the battery a thorough charge.
>
>The article sez that the method works on batteries that work but don't work
>"well enough" anymore. It says that the earlier in its life you give it the
>treatment, the longer it will last. It claims that a marginal battery can be
>restored to useful condition for a period of time "quite often by many
>years."
>
>Being a skeptic, and having access to EDTA, I decided to try this with a
>four year old battery (that's showing signs of age) in one of my bikes
>before posting. It worked for me. I haven't been able to use the electric
>start on that bike for the past year. After treatment, the electric start
>always works when the motor is hot and sometimes even when cold. Well worth
>the ten minutes it took to "install." The installation was in February and
>the battery I thought I would need to replace this summer looks like it will
>last.
>============================================================================
>"No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle." - Winston Churchill
> The Nashville Flash - dab@vuse.vanderbilt.edu - DoD # 412
>--------------------
>From: dab@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (The Nashville Flash)
>Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
>Subject: EDTA - A Chemistry Lesson
>Summary: Shameless reprint of VBMW reprinted article.
>Date: 19 May 92 18:58:13 GMT
>Organization: Vanderbilt University School of Engineering, Nashville, TN,
>USA
>
>From Vintage BMW Bulletin, May-June 1992, v20n3 (w/o permission)
>
>From Vintage BMW Bulletin, Nov-Dec 1991, v19n6
>
>Prolonging the Useful Life of a Lead Acid Battery
>by K.L. Martin, B.Sc.(Hon)(London)
>
>Very few lead acid batteries are replaced because they stop working. In
>almost every case the battery is replaced because it doesn't work _well
>enough_ anymore. What is not generally realized is that something can be
>done at this stage which may prolong the useful life of the battery - quite
>often by many years, and that the same treatment carried out earlier in the
>battery's life may well have stopped the symptoms from occurring in the
>first place.
>
>The reason for a battery failing is due to the chemical processes which take
>place in each cell when the battery is not fully charged. Even the slightest
>discharge condition allows both plates to react slowly with the sulfuric
>acid electrolyte to form lead ions. It is these lead ions which cause
>problems; they combine with sulfate ions in sulfuric acid to form highly
>insoluble lead sulfate. When this coats the plates of the battery, it fails
>to deliver enough power to be of use. The battery may well be serviceable
>every other way - only the "sulfating" stops the battery from delivering
>enough power to be of use.
>
>The sulfating can effectively be removed, or prevented, by adding to each
>cell a chemical called tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (often
>abbreviated to tetrasodium EDTA). This chemical forms co-ordination
>compounds with many metal ions, including lead ions formed in the discharge
>cycle of a battery. The compound formed by lead ions and the EDTA ion is not
>particularly stable in the acid medium of a battery, but when it breaks down
>again any lead sulfate regenerated tends to drop to the bottom of the cell
>where it lays harmlessly since it doesn't conduct electricity. Any
>regenerated EDTA ions are free to continue their work.
>
>This is likely to occur if the motorcycle is used just for short trips, is
>infrequently used, or has at any time suffered from an inefficient charging
>system. Treating with the chemical can also help keep an original battery in
>use, and can help in bringing back into use a stored battery. It is also a
>once-only treatment, lasting the life of the renovated battery.
>============================================================================
>"No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle." - Winston Churchill
> The Nashville Flash - dab@vuse.vanderbilt.edu - DoD # 412
>--------------------
>Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 12:29:50 PST
>From: Ed Hackett
>To: euro-moto@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov
>Subject: EDTA
>
>
>OK, you asked for it!
>
>EDTA:
>
>N,N'-1,2-Ethanediylbis[N-(carboxymethyl)glycene] tetrasodium salt
>or more commonly, ethylenediamenetetraacetic acid tetrasodium salt.
>
>Even with that impressive name it is classified as non hazardous,
>so shipping is no problem. Pack it so that it can't get out, so
>that if it does, nobody gets over exited about it. Just send it,
>but don't make any mention of what is in the package. Saying the
>package contains chemicals will run up the red flag. EDTA gets a
>big 0 in all classes of hazards(health, flammability, and
>reactivity).
>
>It is a minor skin irritant, so if you get any on you, rinse it
>off. The LD 50 in rats is 2000mg/Kg so you would have to eat over
>a quarter pound to do yourself any harm. It is used as a chelating
>agent in reactions (that's why I have a bottle) and as treatment
>for heavy metals poisioning. It binds the metals in the blood so
>they are no longer active and your body can remove them by its'
>normal means.
>
>Malossi Float Bowls:
>
>Speaking of chemistry, I just blew a precison regulator on one of
>my instruments, so I had a few hours to waste. I scanned a Malossi
>plastic float bowl to see what it was made of. It was too thick to
>get a good reading (our insrument is set up for a film that is just
>a few molecules thick). It appears to be either an aramid or a
>polyamide (nylon) the C-H bands were satuated due to the thickness,
>so I couldn't tell if it was an aromatic or not. It is probably a
>nylon. In either case it would be safe for anything that would
>normally be found in gas, including alcohols and ethers. The
>melting had to have been caused by something in the additives (it
>is most likely disolved by acids, phenol or cresol).
>
> Ed Hackett edh@wheeler.wrc.unr.edu The Desert Research Institute
> DoD #0200 WMTC BMWRA DIOC Reno, Nevada (702) 673-7380
> KotLS KtoLE DotD #0003 I'm not really a chemist, I'm just one of
> 900SS K100RS 501 CAMEL them motorsickle sonsabitches. __=o&o>__
>
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>Date: Tue, 17 May 94 11:52:50 EDT
>From: Tom Coradeschi
>To: Jim Lawrence
>Subject: Re: Die Hard bike batteries - opinions?
>Organization: Electric Armts Div, US Army ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ
>Message-ID: <9405171152.aa01563@fsm-1.pica.army.mil>
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>Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 13:38:06 EST
>From: lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu
>To: LAWRENCE@ACLCB.PURDUE.EDU
>Message-ID: <0098AE4F.04D5F580.49@aclcb.purdue.edu>
>Subject: EDTA
>
>